A friend in need
by Jasmin 0583
Summary: Post Hangover III Story When Phil doesn't show up for a road trip that has been long planned, his friends are worried for him. Soon they find out what's going on and it's up to them to help their friend in need.
1. Chapter 1

"This is Phil. Leave a message. Or not."

The beep indicating for the caller to leave his message sounded and Doug ended the call, shoving his cell phone back into his pocket. He was frustrated and quite frankly a little angry with one of his oldest friends who seemed to have decided to utterly ignore his very existence for today. Next to him the other one of his very best friends - Stu - shot him a curious glance.

"And?"

"Nothing. No answer. Goes to voice mail every time I try."

"But we were supposed to leave an hour ago."

Stu couldn't help but sounding a little whiny about the whole thing. It had been four years since Alan had gotten married, two years since he and his wife had moved from L.A. to the Mexican border and now Cassandra had just had a baby. Actually Stu didn't even wanna think about those two... reproducing. But they were happy for them. The baptism for the baby had been scheduled for this weekend, the first time ever in years that the former 'wolfpack' came back together.

It was at least a five hour drive and with Phil being late - which meant for them to hit rush hour on the way out of L.A. - and Alan being Alan it would be one hell of a road trip and not in a good sense. Doug clapped his friend on the shoulder, fishing for his cellphone again. He was just as irritated. And, being completely honest with himself, a little worried. Phil certainly had a tendency to be childish and a little irresponsible at times, but Doug had never known him to be unreliable. In all the fucked up situations they had been involved in whenever all four of them had been together and alcohol had been involved, Phil had always been the one to keep his cool. It just wasn't like him to forget something like this or to not call if he would be late. Doug sighed.

"I know, okay? And Phil knows too. I'll try his home phone again."

Doug hit the number on speed dial and waited for the beeping of the phone to fade and someone to pick up the phone. It was a nerve wrecking eternity and then Doug was greeted by the all too familiar sound of the answering machine. He tried not to let his anger show but he didn't quite succeed.  
"Phil, it's Doug. Again. Come on man, where are you? We're waiting. Please call me back asap."  
Next to him Doug heard Stu sigh pointedly.

"Still nothing, mh?"

"Yep. I think we should just go over there. Maybe there's just a problem with the phone company or something. Or maybe they have been held up because of the kids. Whatever. We should just pick him up."

Stu nodded slowly. That was actually a good idea that they should have come up with way earlier. It was Friday afternoon and Phil couldn't possibly still be at school. He had no idea what Stephanie's work schedule was like. They barely ever talked about these things. But he knew she was working only part time. She had to be home. But that didn't change the fact that there was nobody answering. Doug's impatient call brought Stu back to the reality around him. His friend was already in the car.

"Come on, Stu. Let's go and check this out."

It was a 15 minute drive to Phil's house and Doug had a good feeling about coming here when he saw the Minivan parked in front of the garage. Stephanie's smaller car wasn't here but it wasn't Stephanie they had come here for. Doug parked his car across from the house and they walked to the door. It took a second ring and still a little more time but finally somebody answered the door. Though it was neither Phil nor Stephanie.

"Uncle Doug? Stu? What are you doing here."

"Hi Eli. We were looking for your father. He was supposed to meet us about an hour ago."

"I don't know. He's not home. Mom isn't either."

The boy sounded utterly clueless and somehow Stu couldn't believe that both Steph and Phil would just leave their kids alone at home without letting them know where they went and when they would be back. He never would have assumed the teenager was lying to them but something was definitely off here. Stu focused his gaze on Eli, hoping to pry some further information from him.

"You have no clue where your parents are?"

"Mom called here when I came home from school. She just told me to pick up Marie from kindergarden, that there was some money in the kitchen drawer and to order some take out and take care of my little sister."

"That's all?"

The teenage boy nodded and Stu shared a look with Doug. Neither of them had any idea what was going on here but Steph's and Phil's behavior were definitely strange. It didn't help to push the matter though. Poor Eli knew just as much as they did - nothing. Stu placed a hand on the boys shoulder an gave him a warm smile.

"Will you tell them we came by and that we need for them to call us. Please?"

"Sure, Uncle Stu. I tell them."

"Thanks, buddy."

They just stood there for a moment, frozen to the spot, after Eli had closed the door on them. Stu still had no idea what to make of this conversation and the strange behavior the boys parents were displaying. He still didn't know why Phil hadn't showed up or even called them to let them know he would be late. He was at a loss of ideas. His gaze shifted to Doug.

"What do we do now?"

"I think we should go back to Tracy's and my place and call Alan, tell him we can't make it today. And then... then we wait."

Stu nodded, not knowing what else to do. Calling Alan and telling him that they were letting him down surely wouldn't be a pleasant experience. Phil better had one hell of a good explanation for all this. But for the moment they could do little else but wait on their mysteriously disappeared friend. They drove back in silence and were greeted by Tracy at the door a strange expression on her face.

"Guys, erm, Stephanie called. I was out in the garden with Lilly and I didn't hear the phone. But she left a message and I think you should listen to it."

A rush of excitement went through Doug when his wife told him about the message. It still wasn't as good as finally hearing back from Phil, but Stephanie was a start. Surely her message had some clue about what was going on. They reached the living room and Tracy pushed the button on the answering machine to replay the message. Stephanie's voice was filling the room and what she had to say to them made the friends blood run cold.

"Hi Doug, Tracy. This is Stephanie. Look, I know you tried to call our house and Phil's cell several times today. I'm just calling to tell you to stop. Stop calling his cell, stop calling our house, stop waiting. Phil won't be joining you on that little road trip of yours. And quite frankly we would very much appreciate it if you left the two of us alone. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but that's the way we want it. I ask you to please respect our decision. I am sorry about all this. Truly. Well... thanks I guess. Bye."

The look, the friends shared, said more than words ever could have, but Stu still spoke his mind out loud.

"What the hell was that all about?"


	2. Chapter 2

A.N.:

Hey guys. Just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who left a review. I'm really glad you like the story. I'm still in the process of writing it but hopefully I will be able to update at least once a week. As some of you might have noticed already, I'm not a native speaker. There might be some grammar errors and some stuff that might sound a little of because of that. Hope you like the update. On with the story.

It had been a week since that very strange message from Stephanie and so far Doug and Stu were still hoping and waiting for the joke - or whatever else it was Phil was playing at - to clear and for them to hear from their friend. But there had been nothing, not so much as a peep and by now Doug and Stu were no longer angry, they were plain worried. They had kept to Stephanie's request and had not called again but it was getting ridiculous. A person didn't just drop out of your life without warning and without a word of goodbye. You didn't do that, especially not to friends you had known since childhood. They deserved better than that.

Explaining the whole situation to Alan had been another trying challenge. They had finally decided to take the trip early the next morning and go to the baptism alone. Alan had been truly upset when it only had been the two of them arriving in Mexico. He had wanted to blow off the whole ceremony and it had taken a lot of convincing from Stu and Doug and even more head butting from Cassie for him to agree to go through with the baptism anyway.

They hadn't said a single word about Phil for the rest of the weekend and the two friends knew that Alan was mad with Phil. He had every right to be. This whole vanishing act was stupid and wrong and quite frankly insulting. And it was especially hard on Alan who had always looked up to Phil. He felt betrayed and there was nothing Doug or Stu could say or do to make that feeling go away.

The trigger for them coming together again to try and piece together what the hell was going on here had been a call from Alan. Apparently he had sent a letter to Phil's house the evening after the baptism ceremony. He had driven all the way to the American border so that it would arrive in LA quicker. It probably had been full of hateful words, but obviously they had never reached Phil. The letter had been returned to sender - unopened and unread. That had been the moment for Doug to decided, that this went to far. Phil could shut himself out of their lives, but he had no right to insult or humiliate them. And not answering calls, not explaining himself and sending back letters, meant for him to read, was just plain wrong.

Stu had voted for another round of phone calls, but Doug had disagreed. He was sure they wouldn't get an answer, neither from Steph nor from Phil. But there were other ways to find out about them. Other ways to put the ball back in their court and wait what would happen. So Doug had come up with the idea of calling Phil's workplace. Surely the school could help them with a message. That was what they had met for this afternoon and Doug was on the phone right now.

"Los Angeles Harrison All Boys Academy, Administration Office, my name ist Cindy, how may I help you?"  
"Hi there Cindy, my name is Doug. Look, I know this is a rather odd request and I know it's the middle of classes but I need to reach one of your teachers. It's sort of an emergency."

"I could have one of the kids on administrative work duty get a message through if you like."

"That would be great. Just... just have it say that Doug called and that it's really important that he calls me back. The message is meant for Phil Wenneck."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line and Dough felled goosebumps prickle up and done his spine. He was taken aback when the young woman from the Administration Office spoke again, sounding sincerely apologetic and just a little bit nervous.

"Oh I'm sorry. But Mr. Wenneck is on sick leave. You wouldn't be able to reach him here and were not allowed to give out private information."

"That... that's okay. But surely he'll be back soon? Maybe I can try again next week?"

"I'm sorry, but that won't work either."

"What does that mean?"

"His sick leave has been marked as indefinite. I couldn't tell you when he will be back to work. Once again, I'm sorry."

"No, that's okay Cindy. Thanks for your help."

Doug ended the call but just couldn't bring up the courage to turn around and face his friend. He had no idea what to make of this call, but that unsettling sick feeling in his gut had returned with a vengeance. He licked his dry lips, realizing only now that he had been holding his breath and breathed in deeply before turning around to Stu.

"Something is seriously wrong. And I don't care what Stephanie said or what she wants and I don't care that Phil obviously decided to ignore us. We are going over there. And we are not leaving until we know what the hell is wrong with him!"

"Doug you're scaring me. What did that woman from the school tell you?"

"She told me that Phil is on sick leave. Indefinitely."

Stu took just a moment to digest the news before he grabbed his jacket.

"Let's go."

The next fifteen minutes - a drive they had done so many times before - felt like the longest of Doug's life and he had been in a couple of fucked up situations that had been seriously bad. Situations in which he had been threatened with a gun, had backed in the sun on the rooftop of a hotel with no water or shade. He had lived through some pretty serious trouble and most of it due to some stupid decision his friends had made. But this was way scarier than anything he had ever experienced before. In all these situations he had always known that his friends would come through for him, that he could count on them. But this was different. There was something going very wrong and right now he had no idea how to handle it - whatever 'it' was. They just had to take it one step at a time.

This time Doug didn't bother to find a parking spot. He parked right behind the minivan, blocking the other cars exit to the street and barely had enough patience to wait on Stu to follow him to the front door. His friend seemed just as determined as he was himself. They walked up to the door, rang the doorbell, rang it again after a couple of moments and by the time Doug had his finger on the button for the third time, the door was unceremoniously ripped open and Stephanie was standing in front of them.

"Jesus! Are you guys crazy?! Stop mistaking our goddamn doorbell for an alarm clock!"

Stu blinked, blinked again and shared a quick look with Doug. He was taken aback by the way Stephanie looked. He had never known her to be anything but perfect. A good dresser, beautiful hair, a nice touch for make up. But right now she was in a pair of sweat pants and a sweatshirt that was not hers but Phil's. Her hair looked disheveled, there was not a smudge of make up on her face to hide the dark circles under her eyes. She looked awful - there was no other way to put it and Doug put it in exactly that words.

"Holy shit, Steph... What happened to you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're a mess."

"Well thanks a lot Doug. I appreciate you coming all the way out here and taking a friend with you to tell me how awful I look. I can't thank you enough. Now will you please leave?!"

"No."

It took Stu quite a lot of courage to tell Stephanie - especially one that was so angry and sarcastic - off. He had been in a long term relationship with a woman who always talked to him like this and the memory would never be a fond one. But this wasn't about him and it wasn't about Stephanie. Stu crossed his arms and engaged in a staring contest with her he hoped he could win.

"We didn't come her to insult you and you know that. We're here for Phil."

"I told you Phil wants nothing to do with you anymore!"

"And I don't believe that. Phil's a grown up guy and I have never ever seen him back out of certainly wouldn't send you to tell us off. He would have done that himself. I just don't think you're telling us the truth."

"I don't give a damn what you think."

"Fine. And quite frankly I don't give a damn what you want. We're coming in, period."

Stephanie was about to protest but didn't even get out the words before she was unceremoniously shoved aside. Stu gave her an apologizing look but couldn't bring himself to actually say the words. He was with Doug on this one. They did the right thing coming here, confronting their childhood friend. It was the only decent thing to do. Doug had stopped in the hallway, hands on his hips.

"Phil?!"

"Jesus, Doug! Be quiet! You're waking him up!"

She bit down hard on her lip the second she realized that she had given away that Phil was here. Stu didn't hesitate. He had been in this house often enough to know where the bedroom was. He knew it was rude and a total invasion of privacy but this stupid cat and mouse game with Phil hiding behind his wife had gone on for long enough now. Behind them Steph was shouting and then quickly following them up the stairs but not quick enough to stop Stu from opening the bedroom door.

The sight overwhelmed him. Being more precise it wasn't exactly what he could see. The shades were drawn and there was only a dim light illuminating the near vicinity of the bedroom window. It was the smell that shook him to the core... There was an unmistakable odor of stale air, of sweat and an even sweeter stench of vomit. All in all it smelt very distinctively of sickness. Despite everything his instinct screamed at him, Stu took a step closer to the king-size bed the couple shared.

The dim light made it impossible to get a good look at Phil but even so Stu could have a good look at the prone form of his friend lying in bed. Even on the worst hungover mornings in Vegas or Bangkok he had never seen Phil look like this. His complexion was pasty, not white but almost ashen and a fine sheet of sweat was covering his face. He looked unmistakably sick and the bucket next to the bed - that Stu did not take a closer look at - was testimony enough of his illness... Stu took a step back, swallowed hard and left the room, carefully closing the door behind him. In the hallway Stephanie stood with tears in her eyes, her hands balled to fists, her whole body trembling, using every ounce of self restraint she had to keep her voice down, hissing at them instead of yelling.

"Are you happy now?! Are you done invading our privacy? Have you seen everything you came here for? Has your curiousity been satisfied?! I told you not to come here! I told you to leave him alone! But no! You don't have the slightest amount of decency on you and just respect and abide by our wishes. You had to come anyway! How dare you!?"

Doug finally stopped Stephanie's angry rambling by putting both of his hands up in the air in a gesture of retreat. They had never meant to hurt her or fight with her and they certainly hadn't meant to invade Phil's privacy like this. But they were his friends and they had always looked out for one another. This situation was no different and that was what Steph had to understand.

"Steph, please... We were just worried. We still are. Now more than ever! What on earth is wrong with him?"

For a moment she hesitated and Doug could perfectly see that internal struggle going on as she tried to decide if she wanted to be mad and angry some more or if she wanted to trust in the genuine worry and concern that was etched into both Dougs' and Stus' voices and faces. She decided for the later, for the right thing, sighed, sniffed and ran a hand through her disheveled hair.

"Come back down and I'll make us some coffee. A hot drink and a seat will help with what I have to tell you. At least a tiny bit."


	3. Chapter 3

A.N.: Hi guys. Thanks for your reviews. I appreciate them a lot! Sorry for the delay in updating. Hope you like the nex chapter.

They had been sitting at the kitchen table in silence for a good ten minutes while Stephanie was fidgeting around, first with the coffeemaker, then with the fridge and finally with spoons and cups. She avoided them, every ounce of her was screaming to run away from the situation and leave them without the so much wanted answers they came here for. But finally she settled down, poured herself a cup of coffee, left it to Stu and Doug to do the same and had her gaze intently fixed on the table's wood in front of her. Her voice was low and shaky when she started, barely more than a whisper.

"It started nine days ago. The day before you wanted to go on your roadtrip to Mexico. Actually Phil had been a little out of it the whole week but on Thursday he came home from school complaining about aches and exhaustion. I put it on a rough day at school, nursed him a bit but I realized he was having a mild fever. With all that kids around I thought maybe it was the flu or something. I had no idea..."  
She took a deep breath, trying to find her composure again and took another sip from the steaming coffee. She still didn't have the strength to look them in the eyes.

"On Friday morning he was worse. I know that now. But I was late for work and I thought he just wanted some compassion and for me to tell him that it was okay if he just called in sick and stayed at home. But I was in a hurry and I didn't listen and I pushed him..."

_*Flashback*_

_"Seriously, Steph, I don't feel so good."_

_"I know, honey. I know you're feeling sick, but you can't just stay here. These kids are your responsibility. And don't tell me you might get them sick because whatever you have, you probably got it from one of them. Anyway, you have a pop quiz coming up today, have you not? Just think how disappointed they will all be if you won't show up to torture them with questions about stuff they forgot to learn anything about."_

_A small smile appeared on her husband's face now and - without much enthusiasm - he started to peel himself out of the warm blanket. _

_"Alright. I guess that's a plus... I'll go."_

_She nodded approvingly and turned back to the mirror to fix her hair and get her dress straightened up. She couldn't wait for Phil to get ready. The kids were already at school, Eli had taken good care of his little sister. But she was already late for her first client of the day. She had to go. _

_In the meantime Phil had managed himself to the edge of the bed and slowly got to his feet. He immediately regretted the action. The world seemed to be spinning around him, dark spots dancing in front of his eyes. He tried to grab a hold of the bed pole, missed, stumbled forward and managed to catch himself just before he fell. He looked up, tried to locate his wife and everything was somehow blurry._

_"Steph..."_

_"Hon, stop it. I really have to go."_

_She didn't turn around when she told him and the next thing she heard was a shuffling step, a deep intake of air and then a loud thud. The silence that followed was deafening. It felt like she was standing there uselessly for at least a minute when in reality it was only seconds. Then she whirled around. Phil was on the floor, eyes closed, moaning softly, unable to form even one coherent word. Seconds later she crashed down next to him, her hands uselessly hovering over his prone form._

_"Baby? Come on, hon, talk to me! What's wrong?! What happened?"_

_But she got no answer, not even the dimmest sign of recognition. Phil didn't reply, didn't wake. Finally Stephanie managed to stretch out a hand. The heat radiating from his body made her pull it back like she burned herself on him. Her thoughts were racing, panic ready to settle in. She willed herself to take a breath, then another and finally the fog in her head cleared and she grabbed her purse, yanked her cell phone out and called 911._

_The operator that answered her call was blissfully calm and professional. he asked her name, asked her address, asked her what happened and in a tumble of words she was hardly able to comprehend herself, she explained it all or at least she hoped she did. The man on the other end of the line remained calm and patient, and it reassured her to an extent she couldn't even describe._

_"Alright, Mrs. Wenneck. I got your name, I got your address. An ambulance has been dispatched. They will be with you within the next ten minutes. Now try and focus. Take a deep breath."_  
_She did as she was told, not caring if she was treated like a child. She had to listen to this man who was trained for emergency situations. He could make it better._

_"Now, Mam, I need you to tell me if your husband is still breathing."_

_She anxiously looked, held a hand over Phil's mouth and nose even though she could see his chest rising and falling and nodded. Seconds later she cursed herself for her stupidity. The operator couldn't see what she saw. So she had to tell him._

_"He's breathing but... but it's very fast."_

_"Don't worry about that. It's the fever spiking the metabolism. It's perfectly normal. Now you said he fell. Is there any sign of injury? Any blood? Maybe his arms or legs in an awkward position like something might be broken?"_

_"No... no blood and he... he looks fine. He just won't wake up."_

_"Alright then. Now can you be certain he didn't fall on his head?"_

_"No, no I can't. I didn't see. I only turned to him after I heard him fall."_

_"Good. Now listen. I don't want you to move him, okay?"_

_"But he's unconscious. What about his breathing?!"_

_"Don't worry about that. He's breathing on his own and that's a good sign. But there is a risk of a head injury and the paramedics will have to check that first. Just stay with him and wait for the medics, okay?"_

_"Okay..."_

_*End Flashback*_

Stephanie stopped her little tale of horror and finally looked up at Doug and Stu. The reactions couldn't have been more different. While Stu was wearing an expression of utter horror on his face, Doug seemed almost stoic. His voice betrayed him though. He was just feigning not to be affected by this.

"What... what happened next?"

Stephanie looked him in the eyes, finally finding the courage to do so.

"The medics came, checked for head injuries, lifted him on a gurney and took him to the ambulance. They offered me a ride and they took us to the hospital. I didn't see Phil for over an hour, just sitting in that goddamn waiting room full of ill-tempered people and uncomfortable plastic chairs and I waited. Just sat there and waited. I didn't call his parents or mine, I didn't call the school or our work... I just sat there, waiting, worrying, trying hard not to go crazy. It worked for a while. Until the doctor came to talk to me."

_*Flashback*_

_"Family to Mr. Wenneck?"_

_Stephanie almost jumped out of her skin, when the doctor - a young man obviously of Asian descent - entered the waiting room and announced her name. She stepped up to him, anxiously trying to read anything from the expression on his face but he was just one thing - professional. Stephanie took a deep breath and tried her best to steel herself for what was to come._

_"I'm his wife. How is he?"_

_"I'm Dr. Amar, I treated your husband. We transferred him to the ICU. He hasn't woken up yet and his condition is still critical. His fever is still very high. We're trying a treatment with fever reducants and chilled saline. We will give it today, see how it progresses and adjust treatment from there. I won't lie to you. We have to get this under control quickly. He's prone to seizures and organ failure as long as his body temperature is this high. However that is not our main concern."_

_"Wait a second?! His organs may just fail him and that is NOT your concern?!"_

_Stephanie was taken aback by the doctors choice of words. She had a hard enough time coping with the very fact that what she had assumed was just a simple touch of the flu had turned into something that utterly serious that she had to take her husband to the hospital. Dr. Amar offered her a small smile. She was thankful for the gesture but it was futile. His next words hit her right to the core. _

_"No. It's the underlying cause that is truly worrisome. We did a first set of tests. The bloodwork just came back. Your husband has an unnaturally high white count. That along with other indicators points to pretty much just one conclusion. We will have to do another set of tests to confirm it but we should not do that before his condition hasn't stabilized."_

_"Would you just tell me what is happening here. What's wrong with him?!"_

_"Your husband is suffering from acute leukemia, Mrs. Wenneck. He has cancer."_

_*End Flashback*_

Stephanie finished her coffee and let her gaze wander from Stu to Doug before she focused it back on the table. She felt tired. So unbelievably tired. She really wanted to just stop talking about this and throw the two out of her house. But now that she had started, she had to go through with it.

"Now you know... As you can obviously see they got the fever back under control and allowed him to go home again. But with the acute leukemia they had to start treatment right away. He is already on his first circle of chemotherapy and let me tell you he is not taking to it too well. It all happened so fast."

"Why didn't you tell us any of this before, Steph? Why would you keep this to yourself?"

"Because Phil asked me to."

A deafening silence fell between them. Stephanie probably could have used maybe just a little more tact and empathy but it was the simple truth. Phil had not asked her to keep it quiet, he had demanded it of her. She hadn't argued with him, had just nodded her agreement and had made the phone call to Doug's and Tracy's house. But it had backfired - big time. Next to her Stu breathed in deeply and loudly.

"Why... why the hell would he do that?!"

"Because out of the four of you, he has always been..."

"The strong one? That's pretty much true."

Doug had finished the sentence for her and Stephanie couldn't help but smile. It vanished the very instant she realized that she would have to talk to her husband about his friends' coming here, intervening on Phil's behalf. He wouldn't like it. Not at all...

"He wants it to stay that way. He doesn't want you to see him like this. But now it's too late for that. I have no idea how to tell him this... "


	4. Chapter 4

It's been like forever since I updated this and I'm really sorry. Just didn'T get back to the story until now. I hope there's still people out there reading it.

Hope you like the update.

*-*-*-*-*

After the initial shock about what Stephanie had revealed to them and the general anger about Phil's stubborn reaction to keep this away from them, realization hit them hard. The sheer enormity of her words took a moment to settle. The two friends shared a look, neither of them knowing what to say now, knowing how to react. The diagnosis itself consisted of one simple word but it certainly wasn't as simple as it sounded.

Cancer. Their best friend had been diagnosed with a potentially life threatening disease. A loving husband - even though Phil liked to differ on that statement but both his friends knew it was only for show. He loved Stephanie like nothing and nobody else in this world. Except for the kids. A caring father of two adorable children that probably didn't even fully comprehend what was happening here. And in the scale of things - even though they were both aware of the fact that even children could contract any kind of cancer - Phil was still young, just yet a little over 40. Nothing of this seemed fair... It just shouldn't have happened. But here they were, forced to accept the hard truth of reality.

Doug spent a long, depressing minute trying to put himself in his friend's position. He couldn't even begin to comprehend how to deal with this and he was only imagining, only watching from the outside. Out of all of them Phil had always been the one to take charge, make decisions, find solutions if necessary. But this was a problem he wouldn't be able to solve. Doug sighed softly and Stu next to him fixed his gaze on Stephanie, obviously having been absorbed in the same sort of thoughts.

"How is he taking it?"

"How do you think?!"

It sounded a lot harsher than Stephanie had intended. She knew Doug and Stu were only trying to help, trying to be sympathetic. But it was a stupid question. Of course Phil had not taken the news well. Of course he was scared - not only for himself but for his family. It was the exact reason he had not wanted his friends around. If there was one thing he couldn't bare to show them openly it was fear. He wanted to be strong, he wanted to be healthy but his own body was betraying him. How was anybody supposed to deal with something like this?

Stu certainly hadn't meant to hurt Stephanies' feelings. Raw emotion tainted every word she said and maybe it would have been wise to choose his words a little more carefully. But then she smiled - a small, defeated smile and sighed audibly, running her hands through her hair before burying her face in them for just a moment. Doug reacted out of instinct, putting a hand on her shoulder which caused Stephanie to look up again.

"How are _you_ taking it?"

"I'm not actually. We both aren't I guess. It's been less then a week since we were confronted with all this... this shit. Sorry but I can't put it any other way. All we have been talking about in this last week were medication and distribution circles, side affects of the treatment, psychological affects, dieting advices, treatment options, options on an oncologist... It's all I can think of, all I can focus on. I haven't been at work for a week, I haven't seen the kids since last week because I needed them out of the house. They are with their grandparents because I had no idea how to tell them the truth.

I couldn't tell his parents or mine either. I just can't find the right words... I thought with all that - focusing all my attention, all my care on Phil - I would be prepared for the things to come. But I'm not. I'm lost... lost in this crazy mud hole of desperation... I should have known. The oncologist warned us right away but I didn't want to believe him. I wanted to believe that my husband could take anything that would be thrown his way. I wanted to believe Phil would be strong through all this."

Stephanies' words made their skin crawl. She sounded helpless and even more hopeless. Two attributes they had never experienced about her before. But it wasn't just that. It was hard to believe that she was actually telling the truth. Especially for Stu who had seen first hand how seriously sick Phil still was. He had been sure their stubborn friend had insisted on leaving the hospital on his own will, not listening to the doctors and taking things to fast. He shook his head, trying to make sense of the facts Stephanie had been pointing out to them.

"You mean to tell us that the state he's in is not due to the initial illness. It's not because of the fever and the recovery from it?"

"No. They treated the fever successfully. He was okay again after a day and a half. It has nothing to do with that. It's the medication."

"What the hell is that so called oncologist doing to him?!"

Stu couldn't help but feeling angry. As Phil so often liked to point out to him - he was not a real doctor. But he had enough knowledge of medicine to have a very firm understanding of what a medication was supposed to do to a person and what it shouldn't be doing. Medication was supposed to help people, not make them worse!

Stephanie shrugged in an utterly helpless gesture. Just remembering their talk with the oncologist hurt her. Especially because back then - just four days ago - Phil had been hopeful and completely determined to go through with the treatment. Neither of them had any idea what was in store for them. She sighed, her voice wavering.

"He said it was the only way to get the leukemia under control. The only way for Phil to have a fighting chance ..."

_*Flashback*_

_Stephanie had been sitting with Phil for over an hour, doing everything she could to avoid looking him in the eyes and keeping all their conversation to happy words and utter nonsense. She couldn't look at him. If she did, she would be unable to lie to him any longer, unable to hide the truth from him. It broke her heart not to tell him but at the same time she didn't have the courage for it._

_Just from the look of it Phil was doing so much better. The fever had died down after a long and difficult night in the ICU and he had been transferred to a normal room now. He was still a little groggy because of the fever and the heavy doses of medication but he was eager to go home. He would. The oncologist had promised her as much. But he wouldn't go home happy and he would have to come back here every time they treated him for his illness. _

_Stephanie had tried to form the word leukemia in her head. Had tried to tell herself in all clarity that Phil was suffering from cancer. She couldn't do it. She couldn't imagine her husband with a potentially deadly disease. She just couldn't let the fact sink in. But reality wouldn't wait for them to get a grip. The oncologist had been very specific on this point. Time was of the essence here. _

_"Steph?"_

_She snapped out of her thoughts and flinched when she realized Phil had been talking to her. She had no idea what he had said and when she looked up to meet his eyes for just a fraction of a second she detected worry in them. She could have laughed hysterically but she found just enough strength to stop herself. He was the one being seriously ill but still he worried about her. She was about to ask him what he had been talking to her about when the door to Phils hospital room opened and the oncologist - Dr. Michael Lewis - entered. He stepped up to the bed, stretching out a hand, offering a handshake and introducing himself to Phil who seemed a little reluctant and even more skeptical. Phil didn't bother being polite. He gave the doctor a good long look._

_"You're not the same doctor who was in here this morning. The one telling me this department was his responsibility. So... who are you?"_

_"You're very observant, Mr. Wenneck. You are quite right. I'm not part of this department. I came here as a consultant.."_

_"A consultant for what? They told me my fever was down and that I was better."_

_Stephanie balled her hands to fists, knowing that the inevitable moment of letting Phil in on the truth had come. In this very moment she regretted for not telling him herself but she couldn't deny that she was happy for the doctor's presence. He dealt with situations such as this on a daily basis. He would know what to say and she would do the one thing she could for Phil. She would be there for him._

_"You're fever is better, that much is true. But I'm not here because of the fever. I'm here because of the underlying cause for your fever."_

_Stephanie watched Phil frown as he tried to make sense out of the doctors words. He obviously didn't like being left in the dark and she could fully understand that. His tone was a lot harsher than necessary._

_"And what would that be?"_

_"Leukemia. The underlying cause is leukemia."_

_Stephanie wasn't sure what kind of a reaction she had expected from Phil but this wasn't it. For a long moment he just stared at the doctor. Then he scoffed before he laughed nervously, his gaze shifting towards her, looking for any sign of amusement on her face. He crossed his arms when he found none, looking from his wife back to the doctor._

_"Does he mean to tell me I have cancer?! He's joking, right? You're joking. You have to be! You should really work on your people skills, doc. This isn't funny at all."_

_"I assure you, Mr. Wenneck, I am perfectly aware that this is no joking matter. I know this is hard to comprehend but what I'm telling you is the truth. The test results confirm it. You're very ill and I know you need time to digest the news but time is the one thing we're short on. With this form of cancer it is imminent to start treatment as soon as possible. You might want some time alone and I respect that but we need to discuss treatment options as soon as you feel up to it. Okay?"_

_The doctor was friendly and calm, smiled at the couple and waited for a reaction from Phil. But he didn't get one. Stephanie could practically see the thoughts swirling in his head as Phil tried hard to make sense of the things that have just been said, tried to comprehend what this meant for him. She looked up at the doctor, answering in her husbands stead._

_"It's okay, Dr. Lewis."_

_"Just let the nurse know when you're ready. "_

_Dr. Lewis smiled at her, turned and left the room, left Stephanie alone with her husband who was still unresponsive. She bit down hard on her lip and carefully placed her hand on his. He didn't flinch, didn't move, didn't even look at her. Her voice was shaking as she tried to get through to him, hoping and praying for an answer. She got one, one she hadn't expected. He was angry with her..._

_"Hon? Honey, please... Please, Phil, talk to me. You're scaring me..."_

_"You knew."_

_"They told me last night. I... I didn't know how to tell you. I just couldn't..."_

_"Be honest?!"_

_"Do this to you! Be the one to cause that heartbroken, devastated look on your face. I didn't want to hurt you..."_

_"No need for that. I'm hurting all too well on my own."_

_A moment of utter silence filled the room. The hopelessness in Phil's voice choked her, made her unable to react and say something, anything to reassure him. She just sat there, held his hand and blinked at him, watched him as he tried hard to find his composure again. When he did, a skeptical look crossed his face and a glimmer of hope was in his eyes. It was not a good thing though. The one thing Phil had decided on for the moment is denial._

_"Are they sure about this? I mean maybe it's a mistake. Maybe it's just a mix up."_

_It felt like a knife being twisted in her gut when she had to shake her head. Stephanie had wished for the very same thing, had insisted on the tests to be redone. But it hadn't changed the results. She hated taking that glimmer of hope away from him but she couldn't let him delude himself. _

_"It's not a mistake, hon. They redid those tests twice. It's the truth."_

_"But I was fine just two days ago!"_

_"You're not now. Not anymore..."_

_She felt the tears burning behind her eyelids, threatening to fall but she fought them down with all the strength she had. She couldn't fall apart in front of Phil. Her husband needed her, more than ever before... But he didn't appreciate her composure. Instead he pulled his hand back and glared at her. He didn't want to believe it, wanted to fight for an alternative but she had to take that hope away from him too. _

_"How can you just accept that?! Just because this one doctor..."_

_"It wasn't just him, Phil. It was three different doctors. It's true. You... you have leukemia."_

_It was the first time she admitted it, found the courage to say it out loud and it brought tears to her eyes yet again. This time she couldn't fight it, this time they ran down her face. She sniffed, tried hard not to sob and failed. Phil's expression changed from anger to sympathy from one second to the next. He grabbed her hand again, pulled her closer, engulfed her in an embrace and Stephanie felt even worse._

_"Steph, don't. Please don't cry. It's going to be okay... I'm going to be fine."_

_She was pretty sure he didn't believe what he was telling her. He was just doing it to reassure her and even though it was a nice gesture, she didn't appreciate it._

_"You can't rationalize this away or talk your way out of it. It's a disease, Phil. We have to deal with this..."_

_She freed herself from his embrace, looking into his eyes. Phil smiled at her. A smile he hid all his true feelings behind, concentrating only on making Stephanie feel better. He knew he had to deal with this, he knew he needed a game plane here, some sort of solution. But even with the confirmation from several doctors and his wife he still couldn't believe he was actually sick. He didn't want to believe it. But Stephanie was right. There was nothing he could say that would make the facts go away. He grabbed Stephanie's hand, squeezing it gently, battling down an onset of panic and keeping the smile plastered on his face._

_"We will."_

_*End Flashback*_

Stephanie watched both Stu and Doug intently, watched their reaction to everything she had just told them. She could tell they felt a lot like she did back there at the hospital before she and Phil had talked to the doctor about the treatment. Stu gave her a small smile and Stephanie let out a sigh.

"Maybe I'm being way to naive here... But that doesn't sound too bad."

"We thought so too. But that was until we talked to the doctor about treating this thing..."


End file.
